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RNC Unanimously Elects Trump Ally Joe Gruters as Chair in Atlanta

He inherits a sizable war chest to steer the party into the 2026 midterms.

Florida Sen. Joe Gruters watches during a legislative session April 30, 2021, at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)
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Michael Whatley, former chair of Republican National Committee, speaks at the 2024 Republican National Convention hosted at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 16, 2024.
Joe Gruters gives a victory speech after winning his first full term in Florida Senate District 23 in Sarasota, Fla., on Nov. 3, 2020.

Overview

  • Gruters, a Florida state senator and former state GOP chair credited with major voter-registration gains, ran unopposed after receiving President Donald Trump’s "complete and total" endorsement.
  • He succeeds Michael Whatley, who resigned this month to run for the U.S. Senate in North Carolina.
  • As chairman, he becomes a key fundraising partner with the White House and will oversee election operations, legal teams, and the 2028 primary calendar and debate rules.
  • The RNC reports more than $80 million cash on hand, far outpacing the DNC’s roughly $14 million entering the cycle.
  • His elevation consolidates Trump’s control over party machinery and spotlights intra-party tensions, including a public rift with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.